The Luke-Acts Saga: Recent Episodes
Charlie Koo
God, #Jesus Christ, #Gospel, #Salvation, #Kingdom of God, #Sermons, #Evangelization, #Messages, #Apologetics, #Theology, #Trinity, #Mission, #Culture, #Denominations
In this episode, the apostle Paul takes on the mission of God in taking the gospel to the gentiles as the Jews plot to ambush and kill him. He was under custody of Felix, later to Festus, he gets to share the gospel with Agrippa and Bernice shortly after he has made his appeal to have his case tried by Caesar.
In this "episode" we see Paul becoming the central figure of the mission to the Gentiles. Luke shifts from a first person singular narrator (I) to plural (we). We see Paul becoming determined to boldly go forth to Jerusalem, in spite of various warnings from the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus ascends to heaven, some ten days later (fifty days after Jesus' resurrection) the Holy Spirit comes upon all believers. The adventure thus begins!
Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus on his way to Damascus, and becomes apostle Paul. Peter becomes aware of Gentile inclusion.
In this episode, Jesus rises from the dead and appears to many people before ascending into the heavens.
In this episode, Judas Iscariot plots to betray Jesus. After they have the Last Supper in the Upper Room, where they broke bread and shared the cup, and after Jesus taught to be servant of many if you wish to become great, foretold Peter that he would betray him. Afterwards Jesus prayed in the Mount of Olives, Judas arrives with the men to arrest Jesus, and as he is being taken away and as Peter follows at a distance, he denies Jesus three times. And he is brought in front of the assembly of the elders, where he is questioned if he is the Son of God. Jesus says "You say that I am," and this is taken as blasphemy, a capital offense by Jewish law.
In this episode, Jesus gets tossed around between Pilate and Herod, and while not conclusively found guilty, is killed on the cross.
In this episode, Jesus notices a rich person giving gifts to the temple treasury, and then sees a poor widow put in two small copper coins and teaches them something about the relativity of absolute value. And in the rest of this episode Jesus teaches about the end times.
In this episode, Jesus gets his authority questioned Jesus responds with a question regarding the authority of John the Baptist. They are unable to answer, so Jesus also refrains from giving them an answer. (Jesus owes them no explanations.)
Afterwards Jesus speaks the parable of the tenants of the vineyard, eluding to himself as the son that the tenants conspire to kill, quoting from Psalm 118:22. this incites them to plan his arrest, that gets delayed on account of how the people might react.
After this, Jesus gets tested by a spy sent to trap him into some mistake. Here he gets asked whether it is lawful or not for the Jews to pay taxes to Caesar. And here, Jesus gives the famous answer. After that he gets tested about the resurrection from some Sadducees, who don't believe in the resurrection. Here Jesus repudiates with a teaching on how God is a God of the living, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when appearing to Moses.
On a final note, Jesus challenges their understanding of David, discrediting the "teachers" of the law and their ostentatious ways.
In this episode, a man by the name of Zacchaeus declares to give half of what he has to the poor and to pay restitution to whoever he may have defrauded, and Jesus pronounces salvation as having arrived to him. Afterwards Jesus tells a parable of Ten Minas, which explains the principle of how those who are given much more will be given to, and to those who have little, even the little they ave will be taken away. But surprisingly, those citizens who hated him and who did not want to be reigned by him were called to be slaughtered before him. After this Jesus made his "triumphal entry" into Jerusalem, where he wept over the city and started to drive out the temple merchants, making more and more enemies that were perceiving threat over his authority and influence.
In this episode, Jesus teaches his disciples their proper posture before God: Namely, as "unworthy servants" doing as they are commanded. And he warns them of the end times, how it will come unexpectedly.
In this episode, Jesus encourages to pray persistently, not losing heart, and to humble one's self, rather than to exalt himself (with example of the self-justifying Pharisee in a prayer of empty thanks), and taught that the Kingdom of God is for those who receive it as children do. He also spoke of how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God, although with God everything is possible, and afterwards he foretold the severe treatment that he must undergo, whereupon arriving at Jericho he healed a blind man who wanted to recover his sight.
In this episode, Jesus speaks a couple of parables: 1) One of the "dishonest" manager, who upon learning that he will be removed from his duties for squandering his master's wealth, discounts much of the debts of his debtors, later earning him the commendation of his master. Jesus later explains, to put to use even "dishonest wealth" to make friends, so that when the wealth fails you will have a place to go in the eternal dwelling.
After that, Jesus lays down the fact that one cannot serve both God and money, one will be devoted to one and hate the other, revealing the Pharisees' true allegiance. Jesus finishes by telling the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich man.
In this episode, Jesus speaks three parables in series: 1) The Lost Sheep; 2) The Lost Coin, and 3) The Prodigal Son. We find that in the last one, there are two lost sons.
In this episode, Jesus heals on the Sabbath once again and as watched closely by one of the ruler of the Pharisees, confronts them with a question: "Which one of you would not pull out of a well, had one of your sons or oxen fallen into it on a Sabbath?" After that, he teaches the principle of taking the humble position and allowing God to exalt you later, rather than taking the high position only to be later, humiliated. After that Jesus speaks two parables: One of the end times banquet, and a series on the Cost of Discipleship (Construction - consider the cost; war of one king against another - consider the cost), finishing with the rhetorical question: "If salt loses its saltiness what will it be good for?"
In this episode, Jesus turns up the heat on his eschatological, apocalyptic message of repentance (Repent or perish). He speaks a parable of the fig tree, and later, heals on the Sabbath which has rules of the synagogue square against him. But Jesus calls on their hypocrisy and when asked by someone if only a few will be saved, he answers- choose the narrow door. Many will try to squeeze in but will not make it. Many will be cast out of the presence of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And he concludes pronouncing a pang-filled woe upon Jerusalem and the unwilling hearts therein.
In this episode, Jesus gives many warnings and teachings regarding the end times and the preparedness that this approaching end will require. The priority is to be given to the heavenly concerns, for the earthly treasures are in passing. He exhorts to correctly interpret the present age.
In this episode, Jesus teaches his disciples "The Lord's Prayer" and the principle of persistence in asking, seeking, and knocking, that the answers will be given. Later, when Jesus cast out a demon, one of his opponents accuses Jesus of casting it out by the powers of Beelzebul, at which point Jesus points out the absurdity of their logical inconsistency. Jesus also teaches some more principles of demonology, and speaks against those who seek "signs." And he continues to speak of the end times, pronouncing some heavy woes against the Pharisees and Lawyers.
In this episode, Jesus appoints seventy two of his followers ahead of him, commissioning them with authority to heal and cast out unclean spirits. He sets instructions on how to do ministry and with what kind of inner preparedness, as later he pronounces heavy woes upon the unrepentant cities. At this time a lawyer who tries to justify himself asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. And Jesus responds with a question in return: "How do you read scripture, what does it say to you?" And he replies: "To love your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus then says, go and do this, you will live. And then he asks, "Who is my neighbor?" At this question, Jesus preaches the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Afterwards, Jesus visits Martha and Mary, the former which was disgruntled that she was the only one tending to service while Mary was with him and not helping out. Jesus in short says, what Mary has chosen is the 'good portion.' (ie. to be at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching.)
In this episode, Jesus travels through the cities and villages where he preaches the Parable of the Sower, in which "the good soil" are those who hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit in patience. He furthermore states that those who have will be given more, and those who have little will be taken away of what he thinks he has. Jesus taught that his mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. And afterwards as they were crossing a lake, the storm caused commotion in the boat. Jesus calmed the storm and afterwards they reached to Gerasenes, where Jesus is met by a man possessed by "Legion." He casts them out into pigs, and the herdsmen ask Jesus to please leave. Although the former demoniac wants to follows Jesus, he instructs him to stay and share his testimony of God's mercy.
After that Jesus heals a woman with a bleeding disorder, who sneaks to touch Jesus, and after that, the daughter of Jairus who was very sick and had died, Jesus raised from the dead after people had laughed at him for saying that she was sleeping.
In this episode, Jesus called his twelve and after conferring authority over demons and diseases, he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. While this is happening, Herod was wondering if John the Baptist that he had beheaded had come back to life to resume his ministry and wanted to see this rumored person Jesus. After this Jesus manages to feed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, after blessing the food and ordering the people to sit in groups of fifty. Afterwards, they had leftovers. Later Jesus asks about who the people think he is. And Peter exhorts, "The Christ of God," Jesus yet wants his identity concealed as he still has many hardship to suffer tat the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes. Jesus challenged everyone to be willing to deny self in following him. Later when they went to the mountain to pray, Jesus was met by Moses and Elijah, where Jesus changed in appearance, with his clothes shining dazzling white. Then a voice spoke from heaven, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!"
In this episode we see John the Baptist and his ministry as foretold in scripture, gaining notice and following. The people were asking him, "What shall we do?" in response to his apocalyptic warnings. The "straightening of crooked path" is consistent of not cheating, not stealing but to share with those in need. Jesus himself got baptized by John in view of people whereupon the Holy Spirit is said to have descended like a dove from heaven. After this John is imprisoned for condemning Herod's marriage as unlawful, and the episode concludes with the genealogy of Jesus' earthly patrilineage, which traces back to Adam, the first man referred to as the son of God, the very same one in the Genesis Creation Account.
In this episode, the story of Jesus is purported as having been written down to keep intact an orderly account, which starts with the angelic foretelling (Gabriel) of the birth of John the Baptist (To Zechariah and Elizabeth), as well as the foretelling of the birth of Jesus (to Joseph and Mary). Mary pays Elizabeth a visit and later, John is born, upon which his father is released from the temporary inability to speak, that began when his birth was foretold. And at this time, Zechariah pronounces a great blessing upon John, who later grows up strong and lives in the wilderness until his public appearance in ministry.
Jesus encounters a centurion, whose servant is ill, but asks him to just say the word, not to trouble in a full house visit. This earns him praise for a faith greater than to those in Israel. Later Jesus raises a widow's son, and then John sends his messengers to Jesus to ask if he is the one who is to come, and Jesus sends them a message that the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up and the poor have the good news preached to them. Later he praises John the Baptist as the greatest born of a woman but states that the least in the kingdom of God is even greater than he. Afterwards, as Jesus is fraternizing with some Pharisees, a "sinful woman" comes to him and anoints him with perfume. When Jesus is criticized for this, he confronts them with a parable on who was pardoned of the greater sin loves more.
The Pharisees continue to challenge Jesus on matters of Sabbath and healing during its course. After which, Jesus finalized the selection if his twelve disciples. Later, he preaches to a large crowd and heals many with diseases and unclean spirits. And then he preaches the beatitudes to the disciples and the woes to the rich. And then he taught to love your enemies, to not judge others, and to examine fruits of your life, and to put into practice what Jesus teaches, like a man who builds on a solid foundation.
Jesus calls his first disciples, giving directions to Simon Peter to go fishing at the deeper end of the water. After which, he cleanses a leper, heals a paralytic, calls controversy upon himself by publicly forgiving sins. He calls Levi to discipleship, and gets questioned by the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus' apparent laxity in association and religious practices, like fasting.
In this episode, a decree by Caesar Augustus leads Joseph's family to get registered (census) so they have to make their way to Bethlehem (town of David, whose lineage David was from). And on their way Mary has to give birth and they stay in a barn at a full inn. Meanwhile, local shepherds are given angelic notice to his birth and they go and pay a visit. Later, when he is of age, he is presented in the temple and a devout Jew Simeon and a widow Anna, prophesy over Jesus.
When Jesus was twelve, the whole family went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover as was customary. And on their return journey they noticed that Jesus was missing. Later they found him in the temple discussion the things of God, sitting among the teachers. He was asked by his parents how he could have caused such distress, he simply answered that he had to be about his Father's house. Later he grew any good child would, obedient to his parents while his stature and favor were increasing with God and men.
Jesus gets tempted but overcomes, and then he begins his ministry. He reads prophecy from Isaiah and pronounces "fulfillment" of the very scripture he has read. He first gets rejected in his hometown of Nazareth to the point that they try to throw him off a cliff. But he moves past him and he begins his healing and preaching ministry in Capernaum, a city in Galilee.